Jump to content

OJ 287

Coordinates: Sky map 08h 54m 48.9s, +20° 06′ 31″
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by OAbot (talk | contribs) at 14:56, 10 June 2020 (Open access bot: doi added to citation with #oabot.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

OJ 287
Comparisons of large and small black holes in galaxy OJ 287 to the Solar System
Observation data (Epoch J2000)
ConstellationCancer
Right ascension08h 54m 48.9s[1]
Declination+20° 06′ 31″[1]
Redshift0.306000 [1]
Distance3.5 Gly (1.073 Gpc)
TypeBL Lac[1]
Apparent magnitude (V)15.43[2]
Other designations
EGO 0851+202,[1] 3EG J0853+1941,[1] RGB J0854+201[1]
See also: Quasar, List of quasars

OJ 287 is a BL Lac object located 3.5 billion light-years away that has produced quasi-periodic optical outbursts going back approximately 120 years, as first apparent on photographic plates from 1891. Seen on photographic plates since at least 1887,[3] it was first detected at radio wavelengths during the course of the Ohio Sky Survey. It is a supermassive black hole binary.[4] The intrinsic brightness of the flashes corresponds to over a trillion times the Sun's luminosity, greater than the entire Milky Way galaxy's light output.[5]

Characteristics

Its central supermassive black hole is among the largest known, with a mass of 18.35 billion solar masses,[6][4] more than six times the value calculated for the previous largest object.[7] Its Schwarzschild radius is ~362 AU,[8] about 12 and 0.75 times the semimajor axes of the orbits of Neptune and dwarf planet Sedna, respectively.

Black Hole Disk Flares In Galaxy OJ 287 (1:22; animation; 28 April 2020)

The optical light curve shows that OJ 287 has a periodic variation of 11–12 years with a narrow double peak at maximum brightness.[9] This kind of variation suggests that it is a binary supermassive black hole.[10] The double-burst variability is thought to result from the smaller black hole punching through the accretion disc of the larger black hole twice in every 12 years.[5]

The smaller supermassive black hole with a mass of "only" 150 million M☉[4] orbits the larger one with an observed orbital period of ~12 years and a calculated eccentricity of ~0.65.[4] The maximum brightness is obtained when the minor component moves through the accretion disk of the supermassive component at perinigricon. The perinigricon and aponigricon of its orbit are ~3,250 and ~17,500 AU, or about 9 and 48 times the primary's Schwarzschild radius;[8] the latter is also ~0.275 light-year and ~0.085 parsec.

The mass was calculated in 2008 by a team led by Mauri Valtonen of Tuorla Observatory in Finland.[11] The timing of these outbursts allows the precession of the companion's elliptical orbit to be measured (39° per orbit), which allows the mass of the central black hole to be calculated using Einstein's principles of general relativity (see Kepler problem in general relativity).[7] The timings also provide a test of the black hole no-hair theorem, which so far is consistent with the results.[5][4]

In order to reproduce all the known outbursts, the rotation of the primary black hole has to be 38% of the maximum allowed rotation for a Kerr black hole.[12][4]

The companion's orbit is decaying via the emission of gravitational radiation and it is expected to merge with the central black hole within approximately 10,000 years.[7][13][8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "NED results for object OJ +287". NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
  2. ^ "QSO J0854+2006". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  3. ^ Camille M. Carlisle (13 January 2015). "Black Hole Binary En Route to Merger?". Sky & Telescope.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Laine, S.; Dey, L.; Valtonen, M.; Gopakumar, A.; Zola, S.; Komossa, S.; Kidger, M.; Pihajoki, P.; Gómez, J.L.; Caton, D.; Ciprini, S.; Drozdz, M.; Gazeas, K.; Godunova, V.; Haque, S.; Hildebrandt, F.; Hudec, R.; Jermak, H.; Kong, A.K.H.; Lehto, H.; Liakos, A.; Matsumoto, K.; Mugrauer, M.; Pursimo, T.; Reichart, D.E.; Simon, A.; Siwak, M.; Sonbas, E. (2020). "Spitzer Observations of the Predicted Eddington Flare from Blazar OJ 287". The Astrophysical Journal. 894 (1): L1. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ab79a4.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  5. ^ a b c "Spitzer Telescope Reveals the Precise Timing of a Black Hole Dance". JPL.NASA.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 28 April 2020. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  6. ^ Valtonen, M. J.; Lehto, H. J.; Nilsson, K.; et al. (2008). "A massive binary black-hole system in OJ 287 and a test of general relativity" (PDF). Nature. 452 (7189): 851–853. arXiv:0809.1280. Bibcode:2008Natur.452..851V. doi:10.1038/nature06896. PMID 18421348.
  7. ^ a b c Shiga, David (10 January 2008). "Biggest black hole in the cosmos discovered". NewScientist.com news service.
  8. ^ a b c Dey, L.; Gopakumar, A.; Valtonen, M.; Zola, S.; Susobhanan, A.; Hudec, R.; Pihajoki, P.; Pursimo, T.; Berdyugin, A.; Piirola, V.; Ciprini, S.; Nilsson, K.; Jermak, H.; Kidger, M.; Komossa, S. (2019). "The Unique Blazar OJ 287 and Its Massive Binary Black Hole Central Engine". Universe. 5 (5): 108. arXiv:1905.02689. doi:10.3390/universe5050108.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  9. ^ Shi, Weizhao; Liu, Xiang; Song, Huagang (2007). "A new model for the periodic outbursts of the BL Lac object OJ287". Astrophysics and Space Science. 310 (1–2): 59–63. Bibcode:2007Ap&SS.310...59S. doi:10.1007/s10509-007-9413-z.
  10. ^ Valtonen, M. J.; Nilsson, K.; Sillanpää, A.; et al. (2006). "The 2005 November Outburst in OJ 287 and the Binary Black Hole Model". The Astrophysical Journal. 643 (1): L9–L12. Bibcode:2006ApJ...643L...9V. doi:10.1086/505039.
  11. ^ "Huge black hole tips the scales". BBC. 2008-01-10. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
  12. ^ Valtonen, M. J.; Mikkola, S.; Merritt, D.; et al. (February 2010). "Measuring the Spin of the Primary Black Hole in OJ287". The Astrophysical Journal. 709 (1): 725–732. arXiv:0912.1209. Bibcode:2010ApJ...709..725V. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/709/2/725.
  13. ^ Valtonen, M. J.; Lehto, H. J.; Sillanpaa, A.; et al. (2006). "Predicting the Next Outbursts of OJ 287 in 2006–2010". The Astrophysical Journal. 646 (1): 36–48. Bibcode:2006ApJ...646...36V. doi:10.1086/504884..

External links


Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=OJ_287&oldid=961811899"